Child Killed in Beit Lahia due to Mishandling Weapon

Yesterday, a child was killed with two live bullets that were mistakenly unleashed from a firearm his brother mishandled in the family house in Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip.

According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 15:30 on Saturday, 30 January 2016, Oday Shehda Matar Taha (17), from Beit Lahia village, was admitted to the Indonesian Hospital in the village, north of the Gaza Strip, as a dead body. The aforementioned boy was hit with two live bullets, one of which hit the head and the other hit the neck. The corpse was referred to the Forensic Department at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

According to the Palestinian police, the two live bullets were mistakenly unleashed from a firearm belonging to his brother, who is a Palestinian police officer, while he was cleaning his firearm in the family house. The police arrived and inspected the scene. Investigations have been ongoing.

PCHR calls upon the competent authorities to take the necessary measures to protect civilians from the danger of weapons and to maintain their safety and security.